Degree: Doctor

Affiliation(s):

FCUP

Bio

Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto (FCUP), Portugal. Aggregation (Agregação) in Chemistry by FCUP in 2018, PhD in Physical Chemistry by Lund University, Sweden (2000), PhD in Chemistry by the University of Coimbra (1998), BSc in Biochemistry by the University of Coimbra (1992). At UPorto, lecturer of courses in physical chemistry, colloids & interfaces, thermodynamics, (nano)materials chemistry, general chemistry and biological chemistry.

Leader of the group "Surfactants, colloids and soft nanomaterials" at the Chemistry Research Center (CIQUP/RG3 - "Nanostructures & Self-Organization"), carrying out research in the development, characterization and applications of soft nanomaterials, including surfactants, polymers, polymer/surfactant mixtures, catanionic vesicles, liquid crystals, colloidal vectors for drug/gene delivery, hybrid nanomaterials, nanocomposites for various applications (energy-related reactions, imaging). President of the Colloids, Polymers and Interfaces Group of the Portuguese Chemical Society (2009-present) and chair/co-chair of several international conferences.

Director of the Master in Nanomaterials Science & Technology (FCUP, since 2022), director of the Doctoral Program in Chemistry (FCUP, since 2021), local coordinator of Erasmus Mundus International Master SERP + (since 2017) and former director of the Master in Chemistry (2018-22). Visiting Professor at Dep. Chem. Eng., MIT (2008), Roma Sapienza University (2007-08), Lund University (2001-08), Univ. Santiago de Compostela (2011-2015) and Univ. Adam Mickiewicz in Poznan (2018-24). Over 60 guest lectures and seminars at universities in Europe, Israel and the USA.

Published > 120 articles in specialized journal indexed in WoS / Scopus, with a h index = 37, 7 book chapters and 3 edited books. Supervisor of 7 post-doc researchers, 11 PhD theses, > 40 Master theses in Chemistry and Biochemistry, and more than 50 undergraduate and extra-curricular projects. General or local responsible researcher for several national and international R&D projects (with teams in Portugal, Sweden, Norway, Italy, Spain, France, Israel and Brazil).

 

Publications
Showing 5 latest publications. Total publications: 138
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1. Exploring the Valorization of Hydroponic Agriculture Wastes as Sources of Cellulose and Nanocellulose, Araújo, AC; Ribeiro, JA Azenha, M; Marques, EF Oliveira, IS in WASTE AND BIOMASS VALORIZATION, 2025, ISSN: 1877-2641,  Volume: 16, 
Article,  Indexed in: crossref, scopus, wos  DOI: 10.1007/s12649-025-02910-3 P-018-3XD
Abstract Hydroponics is an advanced agricultural technique that involves growing plants without soil. Instead, plants are cultivated in a nutrient-rich water solution that provides all the essential minerals they need to thrive, allowing plants to grow either with their roots directly in the solution or supported by inert substrates like pine bark, coconut husk fiber, and rice husk. The solid waste generated from hydroponic cultivation is valuable due to its low cost, abundance, biodegradability, and renewability. These residues are rich in lignocellulosic materials, which can be extracted and refined to produce cellulose and nanocellulose (NC). In this work, cellulose and nanocellulose were extracted from residues of coconut husk fiber and a mixture of pine bark and coconut husk fiber, used in tomato and strawberry hydroponics, respectively. The residues were ground, washed, and chemically treated to obtain cellulose and NC. The chemical process involved several stages: (i) acid treatment, alkaline treatment, and bleaching to isolate cellulose, and (ii) acid hydrolysis followed by ultrasonication to obtain NC. Both materials underwent characterization using various techniques such as TGA, DSC, XRD and FTIR-ATR, which confirmed very low levels of lignin and hemicellulose. Morphological characterization through SEM revealed the presence of micro- and nano-crystals in the cellulose and NC samples, respectively, highlighting the effectiveness of the extraction method. The high purity and quality of the extracted materials make them competitive with commercially available products, suitable for applications in healthcare, food packaging, and automotive industries, while supporting recycling and reuse principles.
2. Tuning the formation of thermotropic ionic liquid crystals through the spacer length in 14-s-14 gemini surfactants, Oliveira, S; Loureiro, C; García Río, L; Marques, F in Journal of Molecular Liquids, 2025, ISSN: 0167-7322,  Volume: 437, 
Article,  Indexed in: crossref, scopus, unpaywall  DOI: 10.1016/j.molliq.2025.128334 P-019-TYW
Abstract Thermotropic ionic liquid crystals (TILCs) are ion-containing fluids forming upon heating between the crystalline and liquid phases of ionic amphiphiles. Bis(quaternary ammonium) gemini surfactants with general formula n-s-n—where n and s are the main tail and the spacer lengths, respectively—are able to form TILCs, but systematic studies on the effect of the spacer length are still lacking. Here, we investigated the possibility of tuning TILC formation by varying s for 14-s-14 gemini surfactants using an unusually wide range of spacers, from 2 up to 20 methylene groups (s = 2, 6, 8, 12, 14, 18 and 20). The thermal stability of these compounds was assessed by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and the thermodynamic parameters of the phase transitions (temperature, enthalpy and entropy changes) by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), while TILCs were assigned by polarized light microscopy (PLM). X-ray diffraction (XRD) of the powder compounds was also carried out to provide insight into the solid phase packing. Notably, the isotropization temperature to the ionic liquid phase shows an inverted V trend with increasing s in the s = 2–12 range, and then increases linearly in the range s = 12–20. Smectic A liquid crystals form for all compounds, with 14-2-14, 14-12-14 and 14-14-14 displaying lower temperatures (approx. range 100–120 °C) than the rest. Overall, the results show that incrementally varying the spacer length affects the phase behavior, thermal stability, thermodynamic parameters of the thermotropic phase transitions, and solid-phase smectic d-spacings in a marked and complex manner, with several non-monotonic trends observed. Moreover, the spacer length can be selected to tune the formation of ionic liquid crystals, pointing to a fine balance between the main chain and spacer lengths. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
3. Smart sarcosinate-based catanionic vesicles for efficient doxorubicin delivery in tumor microenvironments, Machado, RL; Oliveira, IS; Santos, K; Gomes, AC; Marques, EF in NANOSCALE, 2025, ISSN: 2040-3364,  Volume: 17, 
Article,  Indexed in: crossref, scopus, unpaywall, wos  DOI: 10.1039/d5nr03663a P-01A-EJW
Abstract Catanionic mixtures, composed of cationic and anionic surfactants, spontaneously form robust self-assembled aggregates whose morphology, size, and surface charge can be tailored by adjusting the surfactant mixing ratio. This straightforward and scalable approach, based on easily obtainable components, offers a versatile and simple platform with high potential for drug delivery. However, developing viable nanocarriers also requires a favorable cytotoxicity profile, high drug loading, and strong bioactivity-features that catanionic vesicles often lack. Here, we present a systematic study of pH-sensitive catanionic vesicles composed of mixtures of the biocompatible, FDA-approved anionic surfactant sodium lauroyl sarcosinate (SLSar) and various cationic double-tailed surfactants (didodecyldimethylammonium bromide and bis-quat 12-s-12 gemini surfactants). The different vesicle systems form spontaneously at low critical aggregation concentrations (approximate to 3-30 mu mol kg-1), and exhibit a broad range of size distributions, high surface charge (positive and negative), and long-term colloidal stability. Cytotoxicity screening in healthy L929 fibroblasts enabled the selection of highly biocompatible compositions, with gemini/SLSar systems showing superior doxorubicin (DOX) encapsulation efficiency. These vesicles exhibit enhanced DOX release at acidic pH (approximate to 6.0), mimicking tumor microenvironments, and demonstrate rapid and efficient uptake in lung carcinoma cells within 30 min, increasing over 3 h. Remarkably, DOX-loaded vesicles achieve potent cytotoxicity at only 5 nM DOX-well below the IC50 of free drug-highlighting enhanced therapeutic efficacy and potential for reduced systemic toxicity. Overall, SLSar-based catanionic vesicles constitute a simple, stable, and tunable nanocarrier platform with significant potential for pH-responsive, low-dose cancer chemotherapy.
4. Photoactivated bioinspired lipoplexes with a chalcone/flavylium photoswitch enhance siRNA delivery-towards precise spatiotemporal control in gene delivery, Moreira, D; Oliveira, IS; Mateus, P; Seco, A; Roma Rodrigues, C; Baptista, PV; Fernandes, AR; Basílio, N; Marques, EF in JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY B, 2025, ISSN: 2050-750X,  Volume: 13, 
Article in Press,  Indexed in: crossref, scopus, unpaywall, wos  DOI: 10.1039/d5tb01908g P-01A-F2P
Abstract The efficient delivery of nucleic acids (NAs) remains a major challenge in gene therapy due to their poor stability and limited cellular uptake. Even though non-viral vectors have been pivotal to overcoming some of these challenges, significant barriers, such as intracellular digestion of NAs and limited endosomal escape, still remain. Here, we developed novel stimuli-responsive lipoplexes integrating a 2-hydroxychalcone-based cationic amphiphile (CnNCh, with 4 or 6 carbons in their alkyl chains, n = 4 or 6) and monoolein (MO). This combination leverages the photoisomerization and pH-sensitivity of chalcone derivatives, along with the fusogenic capabilities of MO, to achieve enhanced transfection efficiency via light irradiation. To reach this goal, we first assessed the cytotoxicity of the cationic amphiphiles in healthy and tumor cells. We then prepared mixtures with varying CnNCh/MO molar ratios, yielding net cationic vesicles with long-term colloidal stability. Subsequently, NAs were efficiently compacted into lipoplexes at N/P ratios (positively charged nitrogen/negatively charged phosphate) higher than 1, attaining near-complete compaction. Light and pH stimuli induce the formation of the expected products, but without compromising lipoplex stability or activating premature NA release. Vesicles with different CnNCh/MO molar ratios do not induce the loss of viability of normal fibroblasts for concentrations up to 50 mu M. Crucially, siRNA-lipoplex mixtures having C4NCh/MO molar ratios of 1/1 and 2/1 (N/P = 6) achieve significant GFP knockdown after irradiation, indicative of successful siRNA delivery and biological effects. Using biomimicking endosomal membranes, we show that photoactivation enhances membrane fusion, suggesting a mechanism entailing light-mediated endosomal escape. Our study provides proof-of-concept for a light-switch mechanism offering precise spatiotemporal control over gene silencing, a highly desirable feature in therapeutic applications.
5. Ternary (molybdenum disulfide/graphene)/carbon nanotube nanocomposites assembled via a facile colloidal electrostatic path as electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction: Composition and nitrogen-doping play a key role in their performance, Rocha, M; Abreu, B; Nunes, MS; Freire, C; Marques, EF in JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE, 2024, ISSN: 0021-9797,  Volume: 664, 
Article,  Indexed in: crossref, scopus, unpaywall, wos  DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2024.03.014 P-010-3W9
Abstract Nanocomposites have garnered attention for their potential as catalysts in electrochemical reactions vital for technologies like fuel cells, water splitting, and metal-air batteries. This work focuses on developing threedimensional (3D) nanocomposites through aqueous phase exfoliation, non-covalent functionalization of building blocks with surfactants and polymers, and electrostatic interactions in solution leading to the nanocomposites assembly and organization. By combining molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) layers with graphene nanoplatelets (GnPs) to form a binary 2D composite (MoS2/GnP), and subsequently incorporating multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) to create ternary 3D composites, we explore their potential as catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) critical in fuel cells. Characterization techniques such as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction elucidate material composition and structure. Our electrochemical studies reveal insights into the kinetics of the reactions and structure-activity relationships. Both the (MoS2/GnP)-to-MWNT mass ratio and nitrogen-doping of GnPs (N-GnPs) play a key role on the electrocatalytic ORR performance. Notably, the (MoS2/N-GnP)/MWNT material, with a 3:1 mass ratio, exhibits the most effective ORR activity. All catalysts demonstrate good long-term stability and methanol crossover tolerance. This facile fabrication method and observed trends offer avenues for optimizing composite electrocatalysts further.